Florida Virtual Campus recently announced that Florida’s first Open Educational Resources Summit will be held from Sept. 7-8 at the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort. FLVC is a Complete Florida Plus Program, managed by the University of West Florida Innovation Institute. Participants will hear from Cable Green, director of open education, and other national and campus leaders involved in defining and driving OER strategy and initiatives.
“We are excited about what our summit will mean for OER in Florida,” said Dr. John Opper, executive director for distant learning and student services at FLVC. “Attendees will discuss the components of a sustainable OER program, elements of a successful faculty driven OER program, the key concerns relating to the quality of open textbooks and how to address them and the return on investment for students and institutions.”
Open educational resources are freely accessible and openly licensed text, media and other digital assets that are useful for teaching, learning and research purposes. Some of Florida’s colleges and universities provide free textbooks and content to their students. One state funded resource for storing and sharing OER is the Orange Grove, an online collection of textbooks and educational materials available to sunshine state students for free. Using this resource, students can find textbooks for a range of courses, from precalculus to oceanography to English composition.
State and campus leaders involved in defining and driving OER strategy and initiatives in higher education, including faculty, librarians, instructional designers, administrators and other thought-leaders, are encouraged to attend the OER Summit. Registration is $100 per person. For more information or to register, visit www.flvc.org/oersummit.
About Florida Virtual Campus: The Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC), A Complete Florida Plus program, is made up of several units which provide statewide innovative educational services for Florida’s K-adult students. Working collaboratively with Florida’s 12 public universities, 28 public colleges, K-12 school districts, and other partners, FLVC provides free services to help students go to college, succeed in school, prepare for career success, and in life after graduation.
